


Connections

by Lookagingerpanda



Category: Mean Girls - Richmond/Benjamin/Fey
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Blue Moon, Connections, F/F, Friends to Lovers, It's like the thread thing but I made it more complicated because I hate myself, Platonic Soulmates, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmates, time jumps
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:08:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27830512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lookagingerpanda/pseuds/Lookagingerpanda
Summary: It is said that we have thousands of invisible threads that tie us to others. They’re easy to break and easier to forget.There are hundreds of strings that tie us to acquaintances. They can be like the threads, dropping by the wayside but some hang on through your lifetime as pleasant outsiders to your most private world.Then there are the dozens of ropes that tie us to people, some thicker than others. These ropes can lead to love while others lead to lifelong friendships that can weather any storm. The ropes are strong and nearly impossible to sever, unless one is trying. You’re pulled to these people, calling to you for bonds of a lifetime.But then there is the chain. One, sometimes two, occasionally more but that is rare. These are the lovers. The truest of all love. The most intense one can experience. The chains weigh and pull like an anchor to the bottom of the sea. Bound to this person or people with iron strength.But there is always a chance that there is a weak link or two. Though iron is strong, rust can be stronger.
Relationships: Karen Smith/Gretchen Wieners, Regina George/Janis Sarkisian
Comments: 5
Kudos: 15
Collections: 2020 AW Gift Exchange





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Elphabuddy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elphabuddy/gifts).



> For my friend Nico aka Elphabuddy. I'm glad we decided to do this, I had so much fun writing this! I am so honored to be your friend and love you so much. Again I am so sorry about the angsty first chapter!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this! Happy Tuesday!
> 
> Connections is always capitalized when speaking about soulmates because I made it a proper noun in this universe.

_**It is said that we have thousands of invisible threads that tie us to others. They’re easy to break and easier to forget.** _

_**** _

_**There are hundreds of strings that tie us to acquaintances. They can be like the threads, dropping by the wayside but some hang on through your lifetime as pleasant outsiders to your most private world.** _

_**** _

_**Then there are the dozens of ropes that tie us to people, some thicker than others. These ropes can lead to love while others lead to lifelong friendships that can weather any storm. The ropes are strong and nearly impossible to sever, unless one is trying. You’re pulled to these people, calling to you for bonds of a lifetime.** _

_**** _

_**But then there is the chain. One, sometimes two, occasionally more but that is rare. These are the lovers. The truest of all love. The most intense one can experience. The chains weigh and pull like an anchor to the bottom of the sea. Bound to this person or people with iron strength.** _

_**** _

_**But there is always a chance that there is a weak link or two. Though iron is strong, rust can be stronger.** _

_**** _

_**When the Blue Moon ascends to the sky every few years, millions of people that have come of age flock to the streets and cities in hopes of finding their truest love and strongest friends. Some will spend their lifetimes following the pull that calls to them under the Blue Moon. Others will cross vast lands and find their people, their home. And many will be shocked to find their strongest connections to have been by their sides all along.** _

_**** _

_**They are called Connections.** _

**************************

**January 30th 2018**

“MOM!” Regina shrieked from the backyard. Before she knew it she had collapsed to the snow covered ground, eyes shut as tight as possible. She was seeing things. She just wasn’t under enough of the moon. She came outside too early. She cracked open her eyes and saw it again. Her chain was hanging from her chest and she felt so cold. Her body trembled violently and she couldn’t help but sob. Her dreams from the last month had come to fruition. 

“Sweetie what’s wrong?” Her mom asked, dropping to the ground and pulling Regina into her.

“My chain is broken! Those dreams came true Mom.” Regina cried. This  _ couldn’t _ be happening. To  _ her _ of all people. People  _ worshipped _ her. How could her’s be broken? How could  _ she _ be broken? 

She had been plagued with dreams of broken chains. Sometimes she was walking down halls covered in chains that were rusty and crumbling. Other dreams she would see the silhouette of who she assumed was her soulmate but the closer she got the looser the chain got. The one time she got close enough to grab her soulmate as soon as their hands touched the chain and her soulmate shattered into a thousand pieces. “What am I going to do?! Mommy this isn’t right, what’s  _ wrong _ with me?”

"Sweetheart I'm not sure I'm sorry. But I know where we can go to find some answers." Mrs. George said confidently. 

“Where?” The girl sniffled.

“There’s a Reader I went to when I was younger. Schools used to host Connection finding parties to keep track of kids so they wouldn’t try anything too drastic. I had a rope attached to someone I was very surprised to see. So I went and saw a Reader about it and everything turned out fine.” Her mom said but there was a hiccup in her last word. Regina thought about asking what was wrong but as soon as she opened her eyes, she saw her hanging chain and began to sob again. “Oh babygirl don’t worry we’ll figure this out. I’ll be in the Reader’s records so we’ll get priority over first timers.”

************************

Regina and her mom had waited in line for about half an hour. The older blonde had been right in saying they’d be bumped up in the line. The mother and daughter got a few glares but they all stayed silent. Regina had been checking her watch every minute and noticed that her heart rate would  _ not _ dip under a 120. She barely slept the night before, and the only sleep she got had her dreaming of broken chains and grey eyes. When she woke up the Blue Moon was shining through the window and the broken chain  _ mocked _ her.

Regina spent the remaining sunless hours googling everything about broken chains. Some people said it was because your soulmate was dead. Others said it meant your soulmate wasn’t born yet or wasn’t of seeing age yet. The last most prominent one was that the relationship had been broken by actions of one or both soulmates. She had cried for a while thinking about two of those options being horrible. Gretchen and Karen had started blowing up the chat at 8am saying they were connected and that they wished she could have been there. They had been planning it for months but the chain dreams made her hesitant to be around other people. So when they asked she just said the standard that you always hear about.

When Regina and her mom were called to enter The Reader’s room the girl hesitated. Maybe it would just be better to accept that she’s  _ a bitch _ and her soulmate was just one of the  _ many _ she was mean to. But before she could think too much about it her mom had grabbed her hand and taken her to the room.

Regina was surprised to see that it was like the love child of a library and a boho tent. The room smelled of old paper and lavender. Each piece of wall was a shelf and covered in books but the floor was covered in huge beanbag chairs and the ceiling with colorful cloth and tiny lights. There was a desk shoved in the corner that looked as though it was rarely used.

In the center of the room lounged a small old looking person. They had a very calm look on their face and gave a small smile to Regina’s mom. Did they really  _ remember _ her? This old geyser looked like they might crock on the spot.

“Sebrina, it’s good to see you again, though I’m sorry it’s under not so wonderful circumstances. What’s happened?” The elder’s voice was calm.

“Well Sloan it’s my daughter Regina. Um… Sweetie could you tell Sloan what’s happening with you.” Sebrina said gently.

“Before that why don’t both of you take a seat. I have a feeling we might be here for more than a few minutes.” Sloan interrupted gently.

The two women complied and sat opposite of Sloan. When Regina met their eyes, tears immediately started falling from her own. Their eyes were soft and knowing and very confident. The unbothered and aloof wall the blonde put up immediately crumbled. 

"M-m-my chain is broken. It's not right. I don't feel a pull.  _ Nothing _ . I felt  _ so _ cold. And before last night I was having dreams about broken and rusty chains. Or I would be finding my soulmate but when I got to them our chain broke into a million pieces. I-I don't know what's  _ wrong _ with me. The internet said my soulmate could be dead or not of age. And…" Regina didn't want to say the last thing. It was painful enough to read, she didn't want to say it out loud.

"What else did the internet tell you?" Sloan asked.

"That… that me or my soulmate did something wrong. Something  _ really _ bad and it broke." The blonde said with shame lacing her voice.

"Unfortunately that is the right answer.” The Reader said solemnly. “When any of your Connections are not of age the thread, string, rope, or chain is distinctly more faint and one does not feel a pull but also does not feel cold as you described. The faintness and lack of pull appears to be a safeguard for the younger so there is little chance of finding them before they are of age. When a person dies, the Connection disintegrates and is no longer visible. Snapped but still visible threads and strings are nothing worrisome. We know those aren’t meant for strong or long term relations. But snapped ropes and chains are something of concern. It means that an event or a series of events have occurred to break that pair’s trust.” 

Regina sank into her beanbag. She didn’t really have a lot of people’s trust. Her queen-like attitude and  _ demand _ for power squashed that. She was so caught up in her chain being broken she  _ barely _ noticed any of her other connections. Though she does remember feeling some pulls. There was one that felt very far away, but she didn’t have a clue which rope it could have been. What if most of her ropes were broken too? 

“I’m sorry that I don’t have a better answer for you Regina. In all my studies of Connections History, I have yet to come across an incident of a broken chain or rope that does not have to do with a broken relationship. The testimonials and manuscripts that all Readers have access to cite betrayal of trust being a main factor. There is an ancient testimonial that we believe to be from Brutus of Julius Caesar and Brutus. The testimonial speaks of an extended time of plotting an assassination of a dear friend who was on the path of being consumed by power. He cited being surprised that their tether was still intact when seen a few months prior during a blue moon. But on the day of the assassination he spoke of feeling a sharp searing pain around his lower abdominal region as soon as the pair's eyes met and his friend releasing that he had taken part in this conspiracy to murder him. A more modern example is cheating on your partner. It can snap the first time or after several times. Another is Connections that grow into different ideological views and cannot find any middle ground. Resentment tends to blossom and cause intense situations to ensue and a snap can occur. Trauma is the last most common culprit. Trauma, be it emotion, physical, mental, group, can break so many things including Connections."

Regina's mind was swimming with thoughts and it felt like all the blood in her body was rushing to her ears. There were a few names rushing to mind that she could have wronged enough to break a connection. But there was only  _ one _ that her brain was shouting to her. She felt her chest tightening and her breath was growing more shallow by the second.

The queen bee was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard a sniffle followed by a stifled sob next to her. Her head snapped to the right and found her mom shaking and wiping away tears. 

“M-mom are you okay?” Regina asked cautiously. She was used to seeing tears coming from her mom, but they were normally at ASPCA commercials or when she  _ inevitably _ dropped a sheet pan of lasagna on the ground two or three times a year. She reached over and grabbed the older blonde’s hand. Her heart sank a little when she realized that she had  _ forgotten _ about the scar on her palm. The Plastic had gotten away from being affectionate with her family and really anyone in the last couple of years.

“I’m fine honey, I-I’m just upset because you’re upset. You know how much I just want you to be happy babygirl.” The Sebrina said shakily. 

Regina furrowed her eyebrows at that and was about to disagree when Sloan spoke up. “Regina would you mind stepping out for a minute so I can speak with your mother privately? When we’re done I can speak with you about steps to either accept what has happened or how you can work to repair the chain.”

“Okay.” The blonde said as she got up. There was something about Sloan that made her not want to say no or try and argue like she did with most others. It wasn’t something scary, just strong and commanding. Just as the door shut an unhindered sob hit her ears. What was happening with her mom? 

************************************************

**March 31st 2018**

Oh god. Oh  _ god _ oh god  _ no _ .  _ This _ was supposed to be an old wives tale. Janis stared down at the ghostly chain that hung from her chest. She looked back over at Damian and saw that his body was pointed out to the north.  _ No _ no  _ NO _ . This wasn't supposed to happen to people  _ this _ young. It wasn’t even supposed to  _ happen _ to that many people in general. How could  _ her’s _ have already been broken? Was that even possible? She must have looked petrified because Damian wrapped her in a hug.

“Babe what’s wrong? Why are you crying? What do you see? Do you not see our rope?” Damian asked quickly, hugging her tightly.

"M-my chain… i-i-it's broken.” Janis just managed to stammer out.

“ _ WHAT _ ?!” Damian yelled. “What do you  _ mean _ ? What does it look like?” 

“It’s hanging! It’s not  _ tight _ and I feel  _ weird _ and cold. I don’t feel a pull like everyone said I would. Daim what does yours  _ look _ like?” Janis demanded, forcing their bodies apart. When she looked down she saw a thick rope around her upper chest that was practically buzzing. It was short and connected to Damian. There was a brief moment of relief before fear rushed to her again. 

"I… it's  _ hanging _ ... Like right off my chest." Janis whispered as she made a motion, running her hand down her chest. Tears pricked at her eyes and Damian brought her into another hug. The punk began to shake with sobs and those waiting tears began to flow. Her body began to sink to the ground and thankfully Damian sank with her, pulling her into his lap. She hid her face in his chest and cried harder. The sandy haired boy ran a hand up and down her back.

An unknown amount of time went by before Janis was able to find her voice. "We're connected at the right? It’s like the thickest rope I have.”

“Yes Babe it’s my thickest rope.” Damian said softly against her hair. “Does it almost feel like ours is humming?”

“Yeah it’s really soothing.” Janis mumbled. She was coming back to her body just enough to realize there were two more sets of eyes on her. She let her eyes drift over the grass of her backyard up toward her house and found her parents standing together looking worried. They slowly walked over to her and took a seat in the grass. Janis shifted off of Damian and into her parents arm. She began to cry again, trying to tell them what was happening.

“Sweetie, it’s okay you don’t have to talk. We’ve been watching the whole time. I’m so sorry sweetheart.” Her mom said, pulling her closer. She felt her dad wrapping around her back.

“What’s  _ wrong _ with me? Why is it broken? I-I don’t understand.” Janis cried.

“I’m not sure bubbi but we can take you to a Reader if you want tomorrow. There’s a few in the city and the one I went to should probably still be there.” Her dad said gently.

“Why’d you have to go?” The girl asked curiously.

“One of my childhood rivals is one of my thickest ropes. We were both shocked and went to a Reader. They helped us sort out that we’re actually pretty similar and that our competitiveness in childhood had two paths, friendship or rivalry. After that we worked on not being such jerks to each other and in time they became one of my closest friends. I remember the first Blue Moon once we had become friends and our rope was buzzing like crazy. It was an amazing feeling.”

“That’s how mine and Daim’s feels.” Janis said with a weak smile and glanced up at her friend. She had to remember there were positives to this. Her and Damian really were platonic soulmates. They joked about it but it was actually true. She thought about what her dad said for a moment. “Dad, Mom, when can we go see a Reader?”

“We can go into the city tomorrow. Readers keep track of everyone they see so when I give my name we’ll get bumped closer to the front of the line.” Her dad said with confidence. 

Janis couldn’t help but let more tears run down her cheeks. How could this be happening? What did she do wrong?

*************************************

Janis was surprised when she walked into The Reader’s office and it was so casual. It made the brunette’s mind rush with painting ideas. In front of her was a small older person looking not surprised at all to see the pair.

“I  _ thought  _ I might be seeing you this year Samuel. Why didn’t you come in January?” The Reader said casually.

Janis was a little taken aback by their candidness. But her dad seemed unfazed and shrugged his shoulders. “I was hoping that it would  _ magically _ be okay. Two in one year  _ isn’t _ common. I thought  _ maybe _ it would just fix itself in two months.”

“When’s the last time you talked to Bri?” asked the elder.

“Sloan, we can talk about that later. My  _ main _ reason for being here is my daughter. Her… chain is broken.” The man said.

Janis looked at her feet feeling shame pulse through her body. Her parents sat her down last night and explained why chains and ropes broke. They also said there was no  _ possible _ way she did anything wrong considering what she went through for the last few years, but the punk was struggling to believe their words. 

She heard Sloan clear their throat and found the courage to really meet the Reader’s eyes. They were serene, holding a knowing look that Janis assumed came with probably decades of experience. She felt tears rolling down her cheeks. Stupid emotions. She felt a hand on her shoulder. Her dad was giving her a gentle look while gesturing to one of the comfy looking beanbags. 

Janis spent the next twenty minutes rattling off all her theories of how she  _ fucked up _ and broke her connection with her soulmate. There were  _ many _ tears shed, all with her dad holding her hand, never interjecting, just supporting his distraught child. When she finally got to the end of all her theories and let out a long breath. It felt  _ good _ being able to word vomit to someone that could actually give her maybe not a definitive but a least an experienced answer. The brunette watched Sloan look her over and then her dad. 

“Janis, with everything that you’ve told me it is apparent that you had very little to do with your chain breaking.” Sloan said confidently. “Anything you’ve mentioned is something that could not break a chain. A  _ thread _ or  _ string _ yes. But  _ not _ a chain or rope. You also mentioned that you have experienced a significant amount of bullying in the last few years. It is very possible one of these bullies is unfortunately your soulmate.”

“B-but why? I thought soulmates were supposed to  _ love _ each other?!” Janis said with a raised voice, unable to control her emotions.

“They do. But fear is a powerful thing. Have you ever known bullies that _ hasn’t  _ had some deep seated fear of rejection, crippling insecurity, or have learned that behavior to cope with something outside of school? I have _ not _ and I’ve been doing this for  _ sixty-seven _ years. You’re sadly not the first person to come here with a broken chain that was caused by their Connection bullying them and causing a break. Thankfully there are some  _ things _ that can be done about this situation.” Sloan said.

“Really?!” Janis squawked.

“Yes. The first option is to accept what has happened and hope that you can find happiness with a Rope Connection. Rope connections can be just as happy and fulfilled as romantic partners as any Chain Connection.” Sloan said in a matter of fact tone. Janis couldn’t hold back a disappointed look on her face. Even though it seemed  _ very _ likely that her soulmate was someone that had hurt her, there was still a desire to know the other option. Sloan must have sensed that need and continued speaking. 

“The other option is to try and repair your relationship with your Chain Connection. Most will attempt this first, as it is within the nature of our world to find these Connections and keep them. It does not always work and some Connections are beyond repair. But I will say chains and ropes broken earlier in life, though more rare, are easier to repair and reconnect. Young people… are so emotionally inept in many ways and allow this ineptitude to rule their decisions. This often leads to people getting hurt. But they can learn and grow away from the behaviors that break Connections. They can change and become better people. Understanding and communication is the key to this though. If you really want to try and fix this Connection, I suggest seeking psychological counselling when you find them. You are also welcome to return to me with your Chain Connection, but only after speaking with a mental health professional together. You can come by anytime to talk by yourself without all of that.”

Janis sat back in the beanbag and took in Sloan’s words. Could she and her soulmate  _ really _ fix this? But also,  _ who _ could it be. She had a good number of bullies in her life. God she hoped it wasn’t one of her boy bullies. She spent the last couple of years sorting through all her emotions and feelings and came out to herself and Damian over the summer and to her parents last month as a lesbian. There was a name scratching at the back of her skull but she refused to allow it to reach the forefront of her mind. There was no  _ possible _ way it was her. Over her  _ dead _ body. 

“Thank you for your help Sloan. I feel a lot more at peace with all of this. I think I’ll try and see if I can fix this.” Janis said with a slight bit of confidence. It was going to be okay. She could be happy. Even if it wasn’t with her soulmate she  _ could _ be happy. And there was always the chance that she could be with her soulmate or at least friends with them so long as she could fix their relationship.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a short little chapter before the fun starts!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just some background that I didn't want to put at the beginning of the next chapter. It's just filling in some stuff between the time jump of the last chapter and the next chapter.
> 
> Please note that Covid-19 will be talked about in this short chapter and will be a plot point of sorts in the next chapter.

After the last Blue Moon so much had changed for both Regina and Janis. Their junior year of high school was a  _ whirlwind _ that somehow ended with both girls being able to sit at the same lunch table without one of them getting up to leave a few minutes in. This followed into their senior year. Much of the progress came with Regina starting therapy after the bus and Janis deciding to take Sloan’s words about young people being emotionally inept to heart. She worked with her therapist to be okay with Regina coming back into her life. Janis decided she would confront Regina about why the middle incident happened. There was no set date, just something planned for when the brunette was ready to hear an answer. 

Regina spent most of her beginning months sorting through trauma of being hit by a bus and dying. But as that was sorted through, the blonde spent much of her time in therapy truly trying to understand who she really was and what turned her into that person before the bus. It took about six months of weekly sessions for her to accept what turned her into a Plastic.  _ Janis Sarkisian _ .  _ Janis Sarkisian _ and her obnoxiously adorable face that made her lose track of time and space.  _ Janis Sarkisian _ and her ridiculous amount of talent with a paint brush.  _ Janis Sarkisian _ and their childhood friendship that for the blonde blossomed into secret non platonic feelings. Non platonic feelings that sparked immense fear when she saw protestors outside of an LGBTQ+ center in Chicago on a trip to see  _ Beautiful: The Carole King Musical _ with Janis and her mom. 

The brunette had been holding her hand while walking by the center and an old man shouted at them that it was a sin. Janis had flipped him off and called him a  _ no nut having old geezer _ . Her mom told the man and the crowd that they should be ashamed of themselves. She told the girls that there was nothing wrong with them holding hands. But unfortunately for Regina the words had already sunk into her skull. A week later she accused Janis of being a lesbian and their friendship ended. So it wasn’t really Janis but those hidden and repressed feelings that made her plastic. But the blonde wondered if any other person could ever draw such strong feelings from her like the punk did.

By the time 2020 rolled around Regina had accepted that she was in fact a lesbian. A lesbian that was in love with Janis Sarkisian. She wasn’t some straight girl just enamored with one hot girl like she tried to tell herself up until the bus. The blonde had felt this way since they were children, she just didn’t have the words. The farther they got into their senior year the more normal their friendship became. That was until Covid-19 hit. 

From there the gang, formally known separately as the Plastics and Art Freaks, made due with the cards they were dealt. They spent most of their free time in the first two months zooming and playing Jackbox. Around May their parents, plus Aaron’s mom, made the collective decision to become a quarantine group. Each day a different family cooked for everyone and they either all got together or one of the kids would deliver to everyone. They managed to only have two Covid scares that turned out to be negative. 

Most weekends the gang had sleepovers in someone’s garage or basement. It was funny to them that  _ before _ Covid they probably would have spent a good amount of time on their phones in silence. But it seemed every weekend there were movies to  _ actually _ give their full attention to, rounds  _ upon _ rounds of Twister to cackle and fall during,  _ hours _ of Cards Against Humanity to play, and as college came closer and closer just long talks about their future.

It was during one of those talks at Damian’s house that Regina finally came out to everyone. No one seemed too surprised, and everyone was obviously extremely supportive, but Janis was oddly quiet. They had finally grown into something close to their childhood friendship, which involved the pair roasting each other on a daily basis. It was the perfect time yet the punk stayed silent. 

It wasn’t until everyone else had fallen asleep that Janis asked Regina to come upstairs and talk with her. It was then that the brunette finally asked the blonde why the middle school incident happened. Regina surprised Janis and herself by just being blunt but gentle. She told the punk that she had feelings for her…  _ at the time _ and as kids. The little white lie broke both their hearts just a bit in that moment. The plastic feared that she would break the newly repaired friendship. Janis then surprised herself and the blonde too when she admitted that she also had feelings for Regina…  _ at the time _ and as kids. The same white lie broke their hearts just a little bit more. Janis feared the same as Regina. Plus Janis was going to California Institute of the Arts and Regina was going to Princeton. In her mind, now was not the time to shoot her shot. 

The conversation turned into a bit of a cry fest with apologies from both parties and promises to be there for each other when they could and be the best possible friends to each other, like they were before everything had happened. Their conversation ended with Regina impulsively hugging Janis. Both girls somehow managed to hold in a gasp when they simultaneously experienced the feeling of something pulling at their chests by their hearts for a brief moment. Both acted as though they didn’t just get the confirmation they had been denying since 2018.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! 
> 
> Drop a kudos or comment if you wish.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! 
> 
> If you would like, please leave a kudos, comment, or both!
> 
> You can also find me on tumblr!
> 
> https://why-do-i-like-you-ya-dumb-bean.tumblr.com/


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